Copenhagen, NY - A knife-wielding man barricaded himself today in the cab of a crane in Lewis County and attempted to hit deputies with the crane's bucket, according to the Lewis County Sheriff's Department.

Deputies apprehended the man early this morning after spraying pepper spray into the cab of the crane, which was parked near the Cataract Street dam in Copenhagen.

At about 12:36 a.m., the suspect, Josh J. Fatjo, 18, of Copenhagen, held a kitchen knife to the throat of his girlfriend during a dispute and threatened to kill her and two other people in his residence, deputies said. When deputies arrived, Fatjo fled on foot to the crane. Fatjo tried to use the crane as a weapon to ward off deputies when they followed him there, deputies said.

After he was arrested, Fatjo was treated for minor self-inflicted cuts to his hand.

Deputies charged Fatjo with felony counts of assault, reckless endangerment and criminal mischief plus misdemeanor counts of menacing and reckless endangerment. A town of Lowville justice ordered Fatjo held in the Lewis County Jail in lieu of $5,000 cash bail or a $10,000 bond.